Sherbet
by FireUpTheFanFic
Summary: The team face their biggest investigation yet - a drug dealer out to kill police and anyone who gets in his way. Will Gene be able to stop him? Or will lives be lost in the process?
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my new story – it's a product of a very rainy day.**_

_**Please bear with it & I hope you like the opening chapter.**_

_**Let's set this around series 3, but pretend there was no Keats and no 'pub'!**_

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'Right! Listen up.'

The team jumped from their slouched positions as the Manc Lion stepped out of his den. Little had been going on recently in the crime world and as far as Ray and Chris were concerned that meant they could lie back and have a good old smoke all morning. Alex and Shaz on the other hand were determined to keep themselves busy and not stoop to their level. Shaz had spent the morning retyping up some case notes and Alex sorting through some old files trying to alphabetise the documents.

Numerous depressed faces in the squad room glanced up at their Guv intrigued to what he had to share with them. It was a cold December morning and even indoors the cold draught hit them making each and every one of them shiver. The weather didn't exactly help their lack of motivation.

'Just 'ad a call in, its come to our attention that there is a major drug gang about, 'nd they're dangerous, very dangerous.'

Ray's face lit up. 'Finally. a proper investigation for us all. I'm sick to death of just sitting here doing nowt.' Alex and Shaz glanced at each other shaking their heads. Exchanging a 'what an utter retard' look. Ignoring Ray's comment, Gene carried on.

'Turns out they're running a 'ighly secretive organisation underground somewhere in London, 'nd our job is to bring the bastards down.'

Everyone picked up on Gene's mood as he spat his words out that morning, pointing at the floor and tensing up as his words came out – something had rattled him.

'So do we have any leads?'

Alex stood up; intrigued by the new investigation they'd been given.

'Well Bolly, turns out the main man is no other than Danny Dixon.'

Chris and Ray jumped up; suddenly they were no longer slouched in their chairs but stood up glancing at their Guv.

'Yes lads, 'the' Danny Dixon'

'Well who is Danny Dixon' asked Alex confused and bewildered. Even Shaz stopped typing and looked up.

'Danny Dixon Bols is a very nasty man. We 'ad the pleasure of dealing with 'im up in Manchester, nasty little bastard. Tried to kill one of our plonks when he realised we were onto his little business. In the end we got 'im, but had no evidence that stood up in court. He's a bastard, and he will certainly not be too chuffed to see us lot again.'

'I remember him, nasty piece of work.' Ray shuddered as he light up another cigarette.

'Shaz I want you to pull out all the files of recent drug related incidents we've had. Chris, Ray, Drake with me, we're off to see one of his ex buyers living in London, been tipped off with his address. He should know where our Danny boy is. The rest of you I want you to do somethin' useful – bring in all the known crack heads you know and see if you can get 'owt out of 'em.'

A range of faces glared back at Gene, most muttering 'Yes Guv'. It was clear some of the so called team in here could not be chewed with the work that was involved with this, but he knew he could rely on his A-team. Shaz was great with the little details, Chris and Ray on the other hand were not as intellectually useful as he wanted them to be but they were still a valuable piece of the team. And as for Alex, she also was very good on picking up on the details and her psychiatry crap, or was it psychology? He could never remember. As much as they bickered and argued he was secretly very fond of his DI and couldn't help but take in how gorgeous she looked as she headed across the room towards him on that winter morning of 1983.

'Right Bolly' stepping out of his trance, 'Me thinks it's time to Fire Up The Quattro. And I mean it everyone; he is dangerous 'nd is known for his bastard possession of firearms as well as drugs. I want 'im stopped! No one deals drugs on my patch. Com prehende?'

'Yes Guv' as the four of them headed out of the room.

Shaz sat there sighing, one day she thought, one day she'd be able to join them. Alex and Chris were perfectly aware of her capabilities but as far as the Guv was concerned, she wasn't brave enough to deal with the crimes and situations the team often found themselves in.

Gene was very proud of the team he had created and had great pride in what they could achieve, even if they did argue the whole time.

Alex strolled down the corridor behind her Guv, followed by Chris and Ray. She'd got used to it all by now – the harshness of some of the investigations. Back in 2008 no way could a police officer get away with shooting a possible suspect as he fled from an officer, nor beat the living daylights out of them in the interview room. But secretly she has a lot of respect for her Guv, although a lot of the time she didn't show it. Alex knew she pushed her luck with him, said things that the likes of Chris and Ray would never get away with but she didn't mind. It made her feel safe and secure in her own little way. As long as he was there, she knew little harm would come to any of the team.

But even she was concerned about this new investigation – this 'Danny Dixon' did sound dangerous and as far as she could see, Gene was clearly disturbed by his reappearance. As they headed across the icy car park towards the gleaming bright red Quattro, she just hoped that they could find him in time.

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_**So there's the first chapter – I'd really appreciate your thoughts and reviews please as they are what encourage me to write more!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to **_**Ellen Asher, **__**Celeste Martin**_ **and **_**Mastertkw**_ **for their reviews!**

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'Steady on Guv!'

'Ray do not tell me how to bloody drive!'

Alex sighed. How the hell did he manage to get away with driving so recklessly? It really was a blessing that they hadn't killed someone, or themselves, due to Gene's driving. The thick sheet of ice on the road didn't help the situation much either as Gene violently turned another corner. Alex's nails digging deep into the seat as she held on for dear life.

Before she knew it Gene had pulled up outside a small, typical 80's semi-detached house. Her legs wobbling from the sheer speed to which he got them there. Chris and Ray hopped out the back, Chris of course having to exit by Alex's door as the Guv violently slammed his as Chris leaned towards it.

'Right, let's see what we can get out of this bastard.'

'Guv he's hardly a bastard! Just because he purchased cocaine from this Dixon bloke a few years ago, doesn't make him a mass criminal!'

'Drake did I ask for your opinion? No, now shut it. And would you look at that, the bastards left his front door off the latch.'

Gene swung the door open, hitting a vase behind the door over, smashing all over the floor.

'What a bastard place to put a bloody vase.'

Alex sighed, did he have no shame? Just as they entered into the hallway a middle aged, lanky brown-haired man jumped into view looking scared stiff of the four police officers.

'You Joe Smith?'

The man looked at Gene and nodded. 'Who's asking like?'

'I'm bloody asking!' Gene leapt forward and pushed the man against the wall, Alex could see from his shaking form that he was terrified of her Guv.

'Guv I don't think this is the solution! Let him go!' her voice turning into a high pitched squeak – she still couldn't believe he got away with treating people like this.

'Ow! Please sir get off me, I dunno what you're after but please!'

Gene released the trembling form from his grip and gave him a little shove. The man slowly regained his posture and adjusted his collar.

'I'm assuming you're police?'

'No we're the bloody Avon people!' Gene sarcastically bellowed.

Alex gave him one of her evil stares and stepped forward.

'Hi Mr Smith, I'm DI Drake… we're looking for a man that we believe you have connections with and we need your help. His name is Danny Dixon, we have it on record that he used to be your supplier.'

Gene stood quietly, staring at the man. He certainly wasn't a fan of his colleagues 'softly softly' method but he quite simply could not be bothered to argue with her today – this case was far too important to him.

'Please Mr Smith, any information you have would be really helpful to us…'

He stared back at her; Alex picked up on the worried look in his eyes.

'Look I 'avn't been on the drugs in years and I 'av no idea where this bloke is.'

He shuffled slightly looking at the floor.

Gene stepped forward grabbing him by his collar.

'Look you little twat, we haven't got time for games and you my friend are not only lying through your teeth but you are pissing me off!' his voice gradually getting louder.

'Orite orite, i do know where he is, but he'll kill me if I tell you, please sir you don't understand how dangerous he is!'

'Oh I understand perfectly how dangerous he is!'

'Look Mr Smith, we can protect you. We keep all of our witness statements highly confidential and we are here anytime you need us.'

Gene sighed as he remembered going through the same situation of 'witness protection' with Sam Tyler. Alex was worried, she didn't want to see this man get hurt by Dixon and she was still unsure to quite what he was capable of, but as far as she was concerned the team needed to know where he was.

'He's got contacts everywhere you know… people watching your every move. It's his city as far as he's concerned.'

'I think you'll find that this is my city!'

Alex rolled her eyes at Gene. 'Guv this isn't helping… please Joe, tell us.'

He looked at Alex, seeing the desperation in the pretty DI's eyes he had to give in:

'There's a fleet of warehouses down by the river… well they are all connected through secret underground tunnels, well, from what I'm told. Dixon works down there with at least another dozen people but he's the ringleader. Although the warehouses are used on a daily basis, the underground passages were closed off years ago, they're soundproofed etc. They're clever DI Drake… very clever. They wear overalls pretending to blend into the factory workers and smuggle the drugs in via storage boxes. There are so many workers at the factories no one gives each other a second glare, so they quite simply wait until no ones looking then sneak in through one of the secret entrances.'

Alex stared at him, slowly taking in what he had just said. She was surprised that he came out with all of that, and believed he was telling the truth. The desperation in his eyes was a clear clue. As far as Gene was concerned his blood was boiling at the fact these drug dealers were running his so called kingdom – no one got away with a crime like this under his nose. He knew they must be good at what they do to be able to hide as secretly as they have. Gene knew this was going to be one hell of a difficult case, and by the looks on Chris and Ray's faces as they stood quietly by the front door, they were thinking the exact same thing.

Gene cleared his throat to break the silence.

'So where are these secret entrances then?'

'That's the thing sir, like I say I've been off drugs for a while so I've never been… but I've heard that they are very well hidden.'

'Bastards' Gene muttered as he headed back towards the Quattro, Ray and Chris following. Alex held back.

'Thank you'

'Its okay but please be careful DI Drake – he's nasty and he will kill. Please don't grass me up either! I've got these little ones to look after…' He picked up a photo frame to the right of him – the picture showed two beautiful toddlers.

Alex smiled; one of the young girls was the spitting image of her Molly when she was that age.

'I understand Mr Smith, and don't worry – we will.'

'Bolly! Hurry up!'

And with that Alex left the house and entered the Quattro, seconds later they accelerated off down the quiet street leaving nothing but petrol fumes in the air.

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**Thank you for reading & reviews would be much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the long update wait! Hope non of you have lost interest during that time.

Apologies that this chapter is a little rough around the edges and is quite quick moving so to speak, but it's better than nothing right? (;

_**Jazzola**_, _**Ellen Asher**_,_** theHuntgoeson**_**, **_**Celeste Martin**_ and _**sash queen of the jungle**_ – thank you!

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Gene barged through the station doors and back into CID closely followed by his DI having to jump out of the way quickly, avoiding the doors rebounding straight towards her.

'Look, all I'm saying Bolly is that if we want to catch this bastard then we need to go to this warehouse and see what he's up to.'

'I agree with that Guv but what if it's a trap?'

'Don't be so ridiculous Bols, the snouts I use never lie to the Gene Genie, they know what'll 'appen if they do.'

One thing Alex had difficulty dealing with through her time here was trust. She thought Gene would be there for her through Operation Rose, she thought he would believe her when she revealed just who she was and where she had come from.

She was wrong.

The only person she'd ever believed in, ever had respect for (although rarely showed it) was her Guv, and for now as far as Alex was concerned she'd just have to trust him.

'Oi, Chris, Ray, back in the Quattro, we're going to the warehouse, you too Drake.'

'Guv we can't just go snooping about the place looking for a "secret door". We will get sussed!'

Although the return of the finger waggling pissed him off to the high heavens, he knew she was right – they would have to disguise themselves.

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'Right team, Chris and Ray round the back, Me 'nd Bolly'll go in.'

'Yes Guv'

Chris and Ray disappeared off around the back of the warehouse. The factory was in full workday use with numerous bodies doing their jobs, carrying crates, cleaning machinery – the list was endless. Gene had come up with the idea of disguising themselves as builders in overalls and helmets, that way they could get away with poking their heads around doors and checking out the walls of the building in hope of finding this secret passageway.

Gene and Alex headed into the warehouse keeping their heads down to avoid any unwanted attention.

After 30 minutes of looking round this frantic overheated environment and with no luck finding the door, Gene felt beat, which was a very rare occurrence. Alex rejoined him and sighed deeply – this only added to Gene's frustration.

'C'mon then Drake, what you suppose we do now?'

'I don't know Guv, let's just hope Chris and Ray have had more luck than us.'

As if she was sidekick, Gene's radio suddenly burst to life.

'Guv! Guv! We've caught a man acting suspicious round the back of the warehouse.'

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The interview room thundered as Gene slammed the man against the wall of the interview room.

'Gene!'

Ignoring Alex's comment Gene carried on, tightening his grip on the suspect.

'Now sunshine, I can't 'elp but feel that you are telling us nothing but flamin' lies, and you know what? I don't take kindly to liars.' Again, slamming him harder against the wall.

This man however was not scared of the Manc Lion, which increased Gene's anger even more. He stood pinned against the wall, his eyes glancing directly into Gene's and a smirk forming on his greasy face. Neither wanted to be the first to move out of the current situation, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

Alex had resorted to taking a step back and observing Gene's actions. How he got away with it she'd never know, but she strangely didn't feel too sorry for the suspect that didn't seem to be phased by the intense interview. Five minutes prior to Gene slamming him against the wall, Alex had been questioning him about what he was doing in the deserted, run down warehouse behind the one Alex and Gene had intensively searched. His deep green eyes pierced through Alex's leaving a shiver down her spine. She concluded that something wasn't right about this man and he was clearly hiding something. Gene had admittedly felt the same opinion as Alex, hence the aggression that followed only moments later.

One thing that did frustrate Gene even more was the fact that this man would not tell them his name. Gene didn't react well to feel like the underdog and to him, this man was winning.

'Look, Mr Hunt. You cannot arrest me for doing nowt. Like I said, I only went in there to check it out.'

Gene lost his grip, causing the man to readjust his collar.

'Let 'im go.' Gene instructed his DI firmly before resorting to storming out of the room, slamming the door on its hinges in the process. As much as Alex wanted to argue, she knew they had nothing on this man for him to spend the night in a cell.

'I'll be seeing you later princess. Sooner than you may think' he winked at Alex before leaving.

'Creep' she muttered under her breath, but couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy at the comment.

Sighing, she left the now empty interview room and headed back to her desk in CID.

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'Guv'

The whole of CID turned and glanced at Viv as he entered the squad room. Gene got up from his desk and closed den which he had spent all afternoon 'thinking' in. These cases really got to him and everyone knew at times like these, he was better off left alone.

'I've got that ID on the man you wanted. Danny Dixon... ring any bells?'

Alex sighed, head in hands, frustration engulfing her body. The slamming of Gene's filing cabinet crash against the floor was enough to tell everyone in the room they had let one of the most dangerous men in London back on the streets.

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**A/N I found this chapter quite difficult to write, but I hope it's clear enough… it was needed to lead on to the future chapter events. Please review! They honestly make my day.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Got a free period so thought I'd make a start on the next chapter, thanks for all the reviews! You are all so lovely.**_

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He'd spent the rest of the afternoon sat in his office, thinking. What had they done? How could he be so stupid not to realise who that criminal was? Alex was bewildered; she couldn't get round the events that had happened that day either. They had their suspect hook line and sinker yet he had somehow managed to slither away. If it was anyone else then she would have suggested they go back onto the streets and find him, but she knew Dixon was a manipulative crook who would be clever enough to hide securely in such a short space of time.

She sat in her chair, CID hustling about, loose papers flying everywhere. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him sitting at his desk shooting the glasses of whiskey back ten to the dozen. If this was 2008 she thought, he'd be thrown out for drinking on the job. But this wasn't 2008, this was 1983. As she sat, pen in hand, trying to work out what to do next she suddenly felt sick as she remembered what he'd said to her:

_'I'll be seeing you later princess. Sooner than you may think'_

He would always be one step ahead of them and she knew he was dangerous. Deciding to put the comment into the past, the sickness feeling slowly disappeared. She'd be threatened lots of times – it was part of the job. It no longer scared her, or so she tried to hell herself that.

Should she tell him? Her Guv? She never quite understood Gene, some days she thought he wished she was dead by the way they argued and spoke to her. But other days she couldn't help but slightly feel he maybe did care about her. She was good at her job, and in her own way she knew she was vital for this team to run smoothly. Gene knew that too. But if anything did happen to her, what would Gene's biggest loss be? Her, or her role in CID? He was a confusing one. Fiddling with her short, chocolate brown bob she decided to let it go.

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Two days passed with little advancement on the case. Gene was growing increasingly annoyed as each hour went by, taking out his frustration on the team. CID knew it was best to keep out of his way, prompted by Chris spilt his coffee all over his witness documents that morning.

'For gods sake Skelton you absolute bellend, twatty, useless idiot. Y'know sometimes I think yer should have takin' up the occupation of workin' in the circus than working for the MET.'

'Guv there is no need to speak to him like that!'

'Y'know what Bolly? I no longer give a shit what you or anyone else thinks. We've let London's most wanted criminal go and we have shit-all idea where he is! I have superiors onto me and questioning not just my ability, but the whole bloody department's ability to perform. And clumsy twats like Chris do not help!'

After bellowing that little speech, Gene pushed his way out of the room and down the corridor. Alex sighed, she didn't like seeing him like this, all rattled up. She needed to get this case sussed and shut as soon as possible and she knew the only way to do that was to go back to the warehouse and catch these buggers red handed.

As Gene re-entered the room, his snakeskin boots thudding off the floor as he coughed for everyone's attention. Alex looked up, Gene again catching her in his eye. He looked sad and angry at the same time – Alex swallowed waiting to hear what the latest development was.

'A letter has just been dropped off to Skip in the office, twatty deliverer ran off before he had a chance to read it.' He rose up a piece of paper in his hand and placed it on Alex's desk… all eyes turned to Alex as she read out the daunting note that was in front of her.

_You 'so called' police are thicker than I first thought,_

_Letting me go, I write this and laugh._

_I'm warning you all, if any police officer comes after me or my kingdom, I will kill._

_And that's a threat._

_Keep away, unless you want your little excuse for brains blown out._

Everyone fell silent. Gene was stumped, what was he going to do? Did catching Dixon mean so much to him that he would put his officers in danger?

Alex looked at Gene, his big blue eyes stared back into hers, for the first time in her 1980's life, she saw fear in them.

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**A/N **_Hope you all liked it, I like my chapters to be short but productive (;_

_If you would be as kind as to review then I would really appreciate your thoughts – it's these that keep me going!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Another free period so here comes another chapter (:**_

_**Big thank you to **_**sillygenie, sash queen of the jungle, EightEminus, graciemay94, Jazzola **_**and**_** CelseteMartin**_** for the reviews – so kind!**_

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Gene needed to catch Dixon, he never accepted defeat. After receiving the threatening note only hours earlier he was more rattled than ever. He sat in his office trying to distance himself from his colleagues in order to avoid any more disputes. He probably was a bit harsh with Chris that morning, but this case had really agitated him and he hoped the rest of CID realised that. Gene had observed that Alex was quieter than usual – rather than involving herself and intervening with Chris and Ray's findings she was sitting at her desk, looking quite lost as far as he could observe.

He would never be the sort of man to ask a woman what was the matter; what with all their mood swings and what not. He never even did that with his own ex wife, he sighed at the thought of all those years of misery. Her leaving him in the long run had turned out to be one of the best things that had happened to him. But Alex was different, she got on his nerves a hell of a lot, but seeing her not being her usual boisterous self made him feel even more down about the investigation.

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Sitting at her desk she could see him looking up at her out of the corner of her eye but she didn't want to glance back making the situation awkward. Alex was interrupted by Chris approaching her desk.

'Ma'am'

'Yes Chris'

'Thing is, we have no actual proof that the drug dealings and networks are situated underground in that factory. For all we know, we could have been set up.'

'But Danny was there Chris, if the network wasn't there then what would he be doing in a discarded warehouse?'

'He's right Bols'

She felt his presence enter the room.

'Maybe we are being set up'

Alex looked at Gene, trying to understand why on earth any of this could be true.

'But Guv what about your snout? He seemed pretty genuine about it all.. why would he lie?'

'Who knows Bolly. They're all probably involved and playin' wi' us.'

She sighed. Gene was no longer angry; his voice was low, husky and surprisingly quiet. This just wasn't normal – and this case had to be cracked rapidly.

'Well if what your saying is true, then shouldn't we find this 'secret door' and see if the place really is unoccupied.'

'Oh catch on Bols you dozy mare – there is no 'secret door' they're having us on!'

'You've changed your tune Guv, ten minutes ago you were adamant there was, and now you suddenly believe Chris?'

Chris quietly returned to his desk, his Guv was no longer quiet and reserved like he had been five minutes ago. He knew what was coming as Alex seemed pretty much fired up herself by Gene's revelation.

'Drake I'm only stating what I think these bastards are doing – playing wi' us!'

'Well you should go on your original instinct! Everything leads to that warehouse!'

She stood out of her chair and approached Gene, harshly looking into his eyes.

He couldn't help but get butterflies in his stomach as she approached. Yes she was being VERY annoying and agitating the hell out of him, but as far as he was concerned, she still looked flamin' gorgeous. Wait. Did he really feel that way? His thoughts were interrupted by her sudden outburst.

'I've sat in here for days with the most miserable people in London, I can't put up with this any longer'

She grabbed her coat and advanced for the door.

'Draaaake' his bellowing voice filled the room.

'You come back here now! And where the hell are you going?'

Alex stopped dead in her tracks, turned round and look directly at Gene giving him an evil glare.

'To prove you wrong'

And with that, she was gone…

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_**Again, a very short chapter compared to other writers on here – hope that isn't much of a problem! Leading up to the main event shortly…**_

_**Please send your thoughts and reviews in :D especially if I haven't heard from you before!**_

_**oh & i'm walking 15km tomorrow for a charity event which will inevitably kill me, so reading reviews would really cheer me up if i survive it ;D  
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	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much for the reviews - they are so motivating and you are all so kind to give your feedback.**

_**Jazzola, Celeste Martin, GracieMay94, EightEminus,**__**Azuragal**_** – much love for you guys :D**

**Another little chapter for you all..**

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She knew when she was right, although that was something she hated about herself – having the ability to always prove people wrong, but why was Gene now adamant that this so called underground drugs factory didn't even exist? Had he given up? Was he just picking the easy option to get out of the situation?

Thoughts flew through Alex's head as she got into the drivers seat of one of the stations unmarked cars. She'd partly expected Gene to come flying after her, offering to go with her or at least try and talk her round… but he didn't, and Alex couldn't help but feel slightly let down by this. Surely she'd made it obvious where she was going? And if he had any common sense and any inkling that Alex's theory may be right then he would have stopped her. Or maybe he just didn't care about her?

Yes, what she was about to do was stupid, especially seeing as she was only doing it to win one over on Gene but this world had her questioning life anyway. It wasn't real, was it? If anything did happen to her then maybe she could get back to Molly. The cold air didn't help her thinking much as she drove out of Fenchurch East and towards her destination. It was late afternoon and the icy, dark nights were drawing in which added to the eeriness that she was about to encounter.

She didn't know why she was doing this and was beginning to question her own theory. This is what he did to her – confused her to the point she no longer knew who she was. But she liked that about him, he was special.

Full in thought, Alex drove through the streets of London and twenty minutes later she arrived at her destination.

She pulled up outside the factory, workers glancing at her as the remaining employees advanced for their cars and path to return home – she concluded that it must be the end of the working day for the factory. Alex sat in the car, nerves preventing her from going into the nearby warehouse.

'Come on Alex, you can do this. What's the worst that can happen?'

After applying herself, she was ready - confidence brimming. Just as Alex opened the door of the car to exit, she heard his voice.

_His_ voice.

At first she thought she was imagining things, but then she heard the voice clearer. Was he here? She turned around quickly glancing around the outside of the car expecting to see his tall figure looking back at her.

'Drake, answer me now!'

Alex's eyes followed the sound to a radio in the glove compartment.

'Drake I mean it, whatever you are gonna do, do not do it. Don't be a stupid tart. Drake for gods sake answer me!'

She didn't like his tone, in fact this pushed Alex to slam the door and head towards the warehouse.

'Screw him' she muttered as she opened the door to the warehouse which was hanging by its hinges, coughing as she entered the dusty room. Planks of wood lay abandoned and bats circled the high ceiling, but the main thing she noticed about this place was the cold air that made her aggressively shiver. Her heart pounded as she felt a shuffle behind her, only to jump out of the way to be greeted by a rat circling her feet. She quickly moved and made her way to one of the walls attempting to look for this door that Gene had so confidently declared never existed.

Her attention was quickly drawn to a wooden crate that was stacked up against the wall; it must have been at least seven foot tall from what she could see.

Alex gently moved the crate, quietly scraping the floor as she pushed it a few metres along the wall to the left - it was heavier than she imagined. A mixed range of emotions went through her as she saw what was before her – a square hole in the wall, big enough for her to climb through.

'This is it' she thought, apprehensive but at the same time excited that her theory was right.

Twenty seconds later, Alex had stepped through the hole into the darkness leaving the main warehouse empty once again.

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**Hope this is okay! The next chapter will be up shortly. Apologies – I'm terrible with ending my stories with cliff-hangers ;D**

**Please let me know what you think of the chapter/plot so far! (:**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks again for all the reviews – here's your next instalment (:**

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Standing in CID still bellowing into the radio, Gene was drawing a lot of unwanted attention to himself.

'C'mon Guv leave it, she's clearly ignoring you. And she's probably not gone to the warehouse anyway. She has you wrapped around your little finger.'

Gene gave Ray his evillest stare. He'd never admit it but it angered and embarrassed him greatly that Alex controlled him as she did, but at the end of the day he only tried to look out for her, who else would if he didn't?

Choosing to ignore the part about Alex controlling him, Gene approached his DI.

'Ray she clearly has, why else would she take a car belonging to the bloody station?'

His voice was low and musky, sounding disappointed at the events that had happened that day. He cared for her, but at the same time was completely disappointed with her attitude.

Gene had a decision to make, and he needed to make it fast.

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At first, complete darkness greeted her, but as she stood up and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out stairs in front of her followed by a long corridor below which was illuminated by a dim light. Quietly stepping down the stairs, it wasn't long before she realised that this underground room was not a room as such, but more a maze of dark, damp, stone walled corridors which one could clearly get lost in. Alex had no idea where to go or where to start, slightly apprehensive that she could run into these criminals at any time.

They would harm her and she knew it.

Hearing footsteps coming from the main corridor and muffled banter from numerous people, Alex quickly ran down the nearest path she could find – another one of the many pitch black corridors. She kept tip toeing down it until she could no longer hear anyone, relieved but worried at the fact she had no idea where she was or where she was going.

Alex kept advancing down the narrow rooms, her hands fumbling along the wall as she tried to find a door or exit, claustrophobia engulfing her. Maybe she shouldn't have come here alone?

For the next 10 minutes, Alex kept going round in circles unable to identify where she was – this reminded her of how she first felt when she arrived in 1981. But this feeling was different, rather than being confused and lost, she was actually scared.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard voices again, but this time from round the corner as she was greeted by a dim torch light growing bigger as it reflected off the wall to the left of her. This was it, they were coming straight for her…

Alex wanted to run, but where? Darkness still engulfed the area she was in. She stood panicking, physically shaking before she felt a gloved hand cover her mouth. As much as Alex wanted to scream she couldn't, as the dark figure's left arm wrapped around her stomach and pulled her into them, tightening their grip as they forced her through the dark.

Trying to pull away, Alex was certainly making it difficult for her captor to take control of her as she wriggled vigorously, but the hand tightened causing her to barely breathe as a result, and the tightened arm around her stomach wasn't helping the lack of oxygen situation much either.

As much as Alex was squirming to get free, the two approaching figures still hadn't clocked onto what was happening, and were now in the distance as she was heaved down endless corridors. She must fight, and she knew it but that hope was soon drawn away as she felt a sting to her head as darkness engulfed her eyes.

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**Am I being too cruel? :P**

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**Found this chapter a bit of a challenge to write. It's so frustrating when you have a clear image in your head of what a place looks like but can't find the words to describe it! **

**Please review as it motivates me to write more.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the dely! Sixthform is a bitch.**

**Here's a short instalment for you all (:**

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'Bolly!'

The first thing she noticed was how much her head hurt. The stinging pains shooting down the back of her head making her feel in absolute agony, why couldn't she just stay asleep? Then it came to her as she remembered her last moments before the blackout – the fear, the wriggling to get away.

'Alex wake up!'

His voice. What was he doing? Was she dreaming?

Alex gently opened her eyes, which only added to the pain. As her eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight she was completely bewildered to where she was – sitting in the passengers seat of the Quattro, with those big pair of crystal blue eyes glancing back at her.

'You silly mere.'

'Eh? What happened?'

She was clearly dazed as she gently closed her eyes, before opening to see her Guv again. Maybe she wasn't dreaming? Well, this clearly wasn't a dream and as far as she could gather as her head felt like a bullet had penetrated it again.

'You 'appened Alex. Came to yer rescue didn't I, but you put on a blumin' big fight didn't yer before you bashed yer head off that wall. I would'da told yer it was me, but they might of heard.'

Looking up at him, she couldn't help but feel relief – he did care. Although he had came and got her out of yet another sticky situation which admittedly did damage her independence.

She tried to sit up straighter, but her banging headache only caused her to retreat back to the slumped position on the seat. Too weak to get up she felt defeated.

Gene watched as she tried to reposition herself and watching her in pain, as much as it saddened him, couldn't help but feel it was her fault.

'I dunno why you left like that Alex; we are meant to be a team.'

'Oh great' she thought. 'Here comes the lecture, just what I need.'

'And goin' down there alone? Are you stupid?'

'Hang on Gene, the last thing I heard you said this whole place was non existent!'

Although she was weak and clutching her head, she was still up for a good old Gene and Alex battle, especially as she picked up on his tone changing from caring to angry.

He didn't mean to be that angry with her, but he was frustrated that he was wrong and his DI was right.

'Anyway, I'm sure I would have managed with you Gene.' Spitting his name.

'I wouldn't have a bloody headache for starters! Ergh!'

Her hands still clutching her head, unable to get up.

'Oh well I'm glad yer bloody grateful Drake! And if it wasn't for me, they would have most likely have found your ditzy self down there and you'd be dead, god forbid what else they wouldda done to yer.'

Silence engulfed the moonlit car park as Gene slammed her door and made his way back to the drivers side of the Quattro.

'Look I'm sorry Gene, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. And I am grateful.'

Tilting her head up to a point where she could just about handle the pain, and looking directly into her Guv's blazing eyes.

How could he possibly not forgive those gorgeous hazel puppy dog eyes of hers?

'C'mon Bols, lets get you home.'

Gently smiling Alex whispered;

'Thank you Gene'

That smile really did give him the 'orn.

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**So he's still not caught, what's in store for the team?**

**Galex to come in future chapters, I think (;**

**Thanks for your reviews – keep them coming! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry about the long wait in updating! But just want to say thanks to everyone for sticking with this fic! Means a lot.. anyhew, here's the next chappy, and more to come shorty - where I may turn the tables.. but more on that later ;-)**

**I dedicate this short chapter to Hannah & Christina**

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Lying in bed in the early hours of the morning, Alex attempted to take in the previous days events, her head still banging away like a constant beat of a drum.

Gene, being the gentleman he was had driven her home through the silent, dark streets back to her flat above Luigi's. Both of them too tired to have a go at each other.

He'd offered to help her up to her flat, but Alex being her stubborn self thanked him and stumbly headed upstairs.

It wasn't until light had illuminated her flat until he drove off in his precious Quattro – Alex picked up on this and that got her wondering even more if Gene was the vicious construct which she had made him out to be. The dizziness engulfed her once more and she decided to make a run for the bed; a good night's sleep was all she needed.

He had hardly slept as well that night, as Gene lay looking at his ceiling, thoughts going through his head of what would have happened if he had never come to her rescue. He tried his hardest to push them thoughts to the back of his mind. Why did she do this to him? Part of him wanted her to learn her lesson from not listening to him, but he wasn't that cruel. He'd never got this wound up about a woman before – Alex Drake was constantly on his mind, and he knew he couldn't keep going this much longer feeling the way he did. Gene knew he was turning soft and hated himself for it.

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'Did you find her alright last night then Guv?'

'Who?'

The little amount of sleep had taken it's toll on Gene as he walked into CID the following morning. Ray shot back his best confused look.

'Drake'

'Oh yeah, found her. Is she not 'ere yet?'

'No Guv'

Ray could detect something had happened; his Guv seemed miles away, and Alex was hardly ever late.

Gene slowly wandered into his den, closing the door gently and making his way over to the whisky cabinet, before grabbing his favourite glass and knocking the drink back, warming his throat. What should he do? If he went and checked on Alex then he'd be a right poofter in his mind, but what if she was ill from last night and needed his help? He didn't have to think for long as the woman herself came through the doors of CID and shyly made her way to her desk. As she sat down, she felt all eyes upon her, including his. Grabbing the paper work to the left of her, she cautiously put her head down and began writing. She was interrupted by his soft voice; not the usual abrupt tone he had, but a softer one,

'Alex'

She glanced over to see Gene standing at his door. She quietly got up and followed him into his den where he then closed the door and drew the blinds. Chris, Ray and Shaz looked at each other, all thinking the same thing, but as well as picking up on that famous sexual attraction they knew the two of them had been carrying for months, they also picked up on the fact that something wasn't right.

Five minutes later, the office door reopened, with a very reserved looking Alex Drake following behind the Manc Lion into the centre of the squad room.

'Last night, we discovered that there is in fact an underground drug network takin' place on my patch. I was wrong not to believe DI Drake 'ere. Now I want no questions asked, other than ones regardin' what we are going to do about it.'

Everyone in CID listened intently, knowing that this was as serious as anything they had ever dealt with before. Alex gently made her way over to a seat nearby, sitting quietly as she felt the repercussions of the previous night in her head. The pain was dying down, but slowly. Gene noticed her move and couldn't help but feel annoyed that she had dismissed his advice only a whole 5 minutes ago for her to go to the hospital to get it checked out. But not wanting to cause any attention to the two of them, Gene carried on with his speech and answered questions from a very intrigued, if not slightly puzzled audience.

'Is that clear then team? We all go in. I want armed back up around every enterence and exit. Make sure that each of us that goes in is armed – this could get nasty. I want this case done and dusted by midnight tonight and those bastards in my cells. Comprehende?'

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**Reviews always appreciated, especially if I am yet to hear from you.. but thanks to all the regular reviewers!**

**Much love xD**


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